


Strength

by Claygoji (JCJx83)



Series: Catalyst [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, For roughly the next hour...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21533986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JCJx83/pseuds/Claygoji
Summary: "Where are you two going?" Weiss called a single brow raised in question."Oh, I forgot something back in the dorm," Yang called over her shoulder with a wave, "Just gonna go grab it."Weiss flashed the pair a look and Blake swore she caught a smirk form as the ex-heiress turned back to her partner. Yang continued on, unperturbed by the slight interruption. Once they were in the hall, Blake cleared her throat.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Series: Catalyst [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1547431
Kudos: 131





	Strength

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation of Catalyst. I'm not super happy with how this turned out but figured I'd let you all be the judge. Enjoy!

Blake stared down at the broken blade of her weapon. Her ears twitched at the sight, reminding her of the sound that had been lodged in her skull ever since. A constant, reverberating crack, of metal slicing through metal. It had been the final mark that Adam had left on her. Seemingly unsatisfied with leaving a scar on her flesh he had to take her weapon as well. 

“Oh, wow, everything is so  _ cool _ !” Blake looked up to where Ruby buzzed around Pietro’s lab, ‘oohing and aahing’ at the assortment of weapon tech on display. An exasperated Weiss followed close behind, mumbling warnings about being careful.

Blake sighed, placing her damaged blade aside. Ever since Ironwood promised to, “Bring your weapons up to our standards,” she had dreaded it. Not because she doubted Pietro’s abilities, the man had built a living-being after all. No, her dread came from a more personal note. 

Gambol Shroud was  _ broken _ . 

Cleaved in two by the man who had tried, and in some cases, succeeded in doing the same to her. 

No, she didn’t doubt Pietro. She doubted her ability to faithfully wield her weapon again. The doubt would always be in the back of her mind. Is this when it shatters again? Is this the moment? Is this the time? It would make her hesitate, and the thought that her hesitation may lead to one of the others getting hurt...she couldn’t bear it.

Adam may be dead, but his presence still weighed like a shadow over her.

“Whatcha doing?” Blake was startled as Yang unceremoniously plopped onto the bench next to her, causing here to jerk to attention. Yang’s brow furrowed, eyes giving off a glint of concern, “Blake?”

“I was just-” Blake started but stopped once she realized she didn’t know what to say.

Yang sat straighter then, inching her hand over the small space between them to take Blake’s hand in her own. “Hey,” She said, voice quiet enough that only Blake could hear. “What’s wrong?”

Blake glanced down to their joined hands as her heart skipped a beat. It had been a common occurence ever since the night they had first arrived, the night she had followed Yang into the bathroom and they shared that moment or whatever it was together. Since then whenever Yang was near Blake would feel her body react in different ways, it was subtle at first, things like how her skin would tingle when they accidentally brushed up against each other or how her heart would flutter if she caught Yang staring and giving her _that_ look. A small and warm smile, accompanied with an incredibly soft glint in her lilac eyes. It was enough to make Blake melt. Blake brought her eyes up and found that very look staring back at her, admittedly it was tinged with more concern than normal, but the emotion behind it remained the same. 

Blake flushed, looking away and towards the floor, unable to maintain the intensity. 

“I’m just thinking.” Blake finally said, keeping her voice low to match Yang’s. Her partner was one thing, but pulling the other’s into this was something she definitely didn’t want to do. She could feel Yang as the blonde stared at her. What happened next came as somewhat of a surprise. Yang released her hand and stood up. Blake looked to her partner, “Yang?”

“Come on,” Yang said, offering Blake her hand and jerking her head towards the door. “Let’s take a walk. I have something I want to show you.”

_ I know where we can be alone.  _

Blake heard the words so clearly despite them not being spoken. That was another thing that had changed since that night. Before then Blake would have said that she and her partner communicated effectively enough, save for a few minor misunderstandings revolving around protection, now though… It was like a whole new plane had opened up to them. They could have entire conversations from the briefest of looks, words took on new meanings, intentions could be hidden from others but to them remained as clear as the winter air.

Blake took Yang's hand without even a seconds hesitation, following the other woman as she cut across the room and headed for the door.

"Where are you two going?" Weiss called a single brow raised in question.

"Oh, I forgot something back in the dorm," Yang called over her shoulder with a wave, "Just gonna go grab it."

Weiss flashed the pair a look and Blake swore she caught a smirk form as the ex-heiress turned back to her partner. Yang continued on, unperturbed by the slight interruption. Once they were in the hall, Blake cleared her throat.

"You know she didn't believe that."

"I didn't  _ lie _ ." 

"So we  _ are _ going to the dorm?" 

"Yeah," Yang said as she turned them down a hallway that led  _ away _ from the dorms. " _ After _ ."

"You're unbelievable," Blake said with a smile, causing a pink hue to coat Yang's cheeks. 

A comfortable silence fell between them then, allowing Blake to just enjoy the walk, and the warm hand that was clasped in her own.

"I will warn you," Yang said after a moment. "It's a bit humid where I'm leading you."

"Yang."

The blonde tilted her head curiously at her, "Yeah?"

"I was born on  _ Menagerie _ ."

Yang came to a complete stop, leaving Blake to watch as the gears clicked in the brawlers mind. 

"I walked right into that one didn't I?"

"You kinda did," Blake said, hiding the ensuing giggle with her free hand.free hand. Yang’s face split in a smile that rivaled the sun’s brilliance. 

“It got a laugh out of you, I’ll count that as a win.”

Blake stared up at Yang shocked at just how close they were standing. When had that happened? Yang met and held her gaze for; one, two, three seconds before she cleared her throat. “Uh, so,  _ yeah _ . It’s right down here,” she said with a point.

Blake looked around as she followed Yang down the hall. They were in a part of the academy she wasn’t familiar with. Which to be fair was most of the campus. They hadn’t really had much time to explore, given everything else that was going on. Which, now that she thought about it, begged a very important question.

How did Yang know about it?

She was about to ask her partner exactly that when Yang stopped them in front of an opening.

“Here we are!” She said an excited tilt to her voice. She stepped inside the room, leaving Blake to look in after her. 

“Where’s here?” Blake asked, stepping into the room next to Yang.

“You’ll see.” Yang said. 

The door behind them slid shut, closing them off. What happened next took Blake’s breath away. 

The wall opposite the door split open, revealing a hidden door. Light and warm air flooded the space, the smell of butterfly bushes and assorted flowers filled Blake’s nose. Her ears twitched and swiveled in every direction, taking in the sound of dozens no hundreds of butterflies as they flew through the air.

Blake stepped forward slowly, leaving Yang to trail behind her. Everywhere she looked she saw a rainbow of color. Butterflies with all different shades of wings fluttered around her. Purples, blues, yellows, reds, every color was represented. A myriad of plants also filled the space, adding warm organic green to the garden. It was also, as promised, humid. Not that Blake paid that any mind. She spun slowly around, taking it all in. She stopped when she found her favorite shade of lilac.

“Yang,” she murmured, pausing as a butterfly with purple wings lighted down on her nose. Her cheeks hurt her smile was so wide. The butterfly took off, allowing her to finish her statement in a whisper, “This is incredible. How'd you find it?"

"I got turned around coming back from the cafeteria the other day. Wound up here." Yang said as she bounced on the balls of her feet. She clicked her tongue, " _ So… _ "

She let the word taper off, intent clear. Blake sighed. 

"I," Blake stared off, focusing on a monarch butterfly as it set atop a bush. "I'm not sure what to do with Gambol Shroud.”

Yang turned her eyes to the ground, a sorrowful look on her face, “Yeah, I thought it might be something like that.”

“Even If I get it repaired how can I trust it? How can I get that sound out of my head?” Blake asked, rubbing her palm’s against her head. “I can’t stop  _ hearing _ it, Yang. I try to focus on other things, the mission, the others,”  _ you _ , “And I can’t get it out of my head. How do I get it out?”

“You don’t.”

Blake froze, her ears standing to attention at Yang's hard tone. She raised her head eyes locked to where Yang stood. Yang stared at her prosthetic, eyes boring holes through the battleworn metal. There was a look there, deep in her irises, Yang may have been stood in a butterfly garden, but that’s not  _ where _ she was. No, Blake suspected that Yang was surrounded by burning tables, debris, and  _ red _ . So much red. 

Yang snapped her fist closed, with a sudden finality, as if she was slamming a door shut. She lowered her arm, exhaling heavily through her nose.“You don’t forget it Blake. You rise above it.”

“What if I don’t know how?” Blake asked, voice small, she hugged herself, ears pinned to her hair as she looked down.

Yang strode, slowly, forward. Each step softly scuffed the ground until she stood directly in front of Blake. A metal finger lightly touched Blake’s chin, finding little resistance, as it tilted her face up. “You’ll figure it out.”

“How?” Blake whispered, eyes sliding shut as Yang leaned down coming to a stop next to Blake’s ear.

“Because you’re Blake Belladonna, and you don’t back down from a challenge.” Yang said. Blake shivered as Yang continued, “It’s what makes you one of the bravest people I know.” 

Blake felt Yang pull away slightly, there was a pause in the air. As if time was waiting on them to move before it started ticking again. Finally warm lips brushed against her cheek followed by a raw voice, “Owed you that from yesterday morning.”

Blake opened her eyes as Yang quickly turned and made for the door, the blonde paused by the opening, staring back. “I’m going to go to the dorm then head back. If I walk slow it should give you ten or so minutes to think before you need to meet me back at the lab.”

“The lab?”

“Do you want to give Weiss  _ more _ ammo?” Yang asked, smiling, “Imagine what she’d think if we came back separately.”

“I-” something in Yang’s smile almost made her do it. She almost said it, but not today. Not yet. “Yeah, I’ll see you in a few.”

Yang flashed a wave as she exited the garden. Blake’s eyes traced the movement as the black and yellow metal cut through the air.

Black...and... _ yellow _ ...

That was it!

Blake took off after Yang, bursting out of the garden’s doors with her partner’s name on her lips, “Yang, wait up!”

Yang stopped, turning back with a raised eyebrow. Blake ran to catch up with her partner, taking her prosthetic hand in her own. “You figure it out?”

“I did.” Blake said as they started walking toward the dorm hand in hand.

“Knew you would.” Yang said, giving Blake’s hand a gentle squeeze. Blake bit her lip and bumped her shoulder into Yang. 

“I had help.”

Yang smiled like the sun, “What are partner’s for?”

**Author's Note:**

> As I stated above I'm not really happy with how this turned out. I had a couple of what I assumed to be clear things I wanted to do with this when I started writing it. I'm just not sure if those idea's came across.
> 
> So, lemme know what you think down below!


End file.
